2025 at Performers College: a year in review
What a year 2025 has been for Performers College. From West End debuts to international tours, groundbreaking performances to industry recognition, our students, graduates, and staff have achieved incredible things across all four campuses. Here’s how the year unfolded, month by month.
January
The year kicked off with Essex graduate Harriet Miller joining the original West End cast of Disney’s Hercules, whilst Birmingham’s first Level 6 Acting cohort performed in their first agent showcase.
February
Essex graduate Adrian Gas choreographed Take That’s performance of Greatest Day at the EE BAFTA Film Awards, the latest in a long line of high-profile successes. Birmingham campus hosted auditions for Level 6 students, with TAG Live and Carnival Cruise Lines holding casting sessions on campus.
March
Performers College brought the heat to MOVE IT with students and staff from Birmingham, Brighton, Essex, and Manchester representing the university. Essex students performed at St. Lukes Hospice for International Women’s Day, whilst Brighton graduates Faith McNeill and Isabelle Rees were awarded the Pebble Trust bursary for their Brighton Fringe show Cowpokes in a Bunkhouse.
April
All four campuses celebrated successful Agent Panel Days, welcoming industry professionals and representatives to meet with students. Manchester’s TheatreWorks event took place at Dancehouse Theatre, bringing together leading theatre industry partners to inspire the next generation of backstage talent.
May
Essex students took centre stage at the VE Day 80th Anniversary Celebration on BBC One, performing at Horse Guards Parade alongside Strictly Come Dancing professionals in a show broadcast to millions. Birmingham’s first Level 6 Acting graduates showcased their short films at an Everyman Cinema screening, whilst Northern Ballet School celebrated an alumnus BAFTA win for Hayley Del Harrison.
June
Summer production season arrived with Birmingham and Essex presenting their annual summer production for BA (Hons) Musical Theatre and Dance and Professional Performance students. Twenty Essex graduates stole the show at Capital Radio’s Summertime Ball, performing on stage at Wembley Stadium, whilst Birmingham students triumphed in the physical theatre piece Skin to Skin. Manchester graduate Laura-Rose Layden prepared for Edinburgh Fringe with her show, and three Northern Ballet School Year 2 students were selected for the prestigious Fonteyn Competition.
July
Summer schools took centre stage, with Essex and Manchester welcoming aspiring performers aged 12–18 for intensive week-long programmes, whilst Northern Ballet School ran their own specialist summer school. Northern Ballet School also celebrated graduate success with their spectacular New York City Swing production on 5 July, and Manchester’s Course Leader Dr Sally Crawford-Shepherd presented at the international Dance Studies Conference.
September
The new academic year began in spectacular style with Freshers Week welcoming hundreds of enthusiastic new students across Birmingham, Brighton, Essex, and Manchester. The campuses buzzed with energy as the class of 2028 began their performing arts journey.
October
Semester 1 brought show season, with Brighton and Manchester students on both acting and musical theatre pathways rehearsing and performing their first of two grad year shows. Northern Ballet School students Heather, Lilly, and Rose travelled to São Paulo, Brazil to represent the school at the Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition.
November
Fifty Contemporary Musical Theatre students from Brighton delivered an electrifying flashmob performance at the Brighton vs Leicester Women’s football match. Performers College announced three specialist postgraduate courses for September 2026 in Choreography, Professional Performance, and Theatre Directing. Graduation celebrations began, with Brighton’s ceremony at Brighton Dome featuring patron Omari Douglas on 18 November, followed by Manchester at Factory International with Cheddar Gorgeous on 25 November.
December
The year concluded with graduation ceremonies celebrating the class of 2025. Birmingham held their ceremony at B:Music Symphony Hall with Omari Douglas on 1 December, and Essex at London’s Royal Festival Hall with legendary Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker on 4 December, marking a spectacular end to an extraordinary year.
As we look back on 2025, we’re proud that Performers College students, graduates, and staff have made their mark across theatre, television, and live performance. Here’s to an equally spectacular 2026!
To discover more about Performers College, including auditions and how to apply, contact us at [email protected] or you can Apply Now, or book an Open Day on our Events page.
